tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37801463852124234982024-03-14T02:23:06.181+00:00Inside My HeadLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-36710397071299099282021-02-07T11:47:00.002+00:002021-02-07T11:47:10.180+00:00I don't live here anymore :-)<p> If you find yourself here, I'm so sorry that I have moved. You can find all my crafty ramblings at www.prettymypage.com</p><p><br /></p><p>Hope to see you there! x</p>Lisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-7293811257246749992014-10-01T05:30:00.000+01:002014-10-01T05:30:00.743+01:00WOYWW 278<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Good morning crafty-desk perusing folks! I am doing my best to join in with What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday and actually get around to a few more than I usually do. You can link up too - find the information at <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">Stamping Ground.</a></div>
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You might think that you've seen this pic before...</div>
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Yes you have, its the same as it was 3-4 weeks ago and we are still in the same boat except that we have lost our forever house and so we are looking again as well as trying to sell ours - its a horrid frustrating process but there we go.<br />
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I have been crafting in between tidying my desk though. This was a layout I did for a recent challenge that involved using white or black as the main colours, using stamping or doodling and using ribbon or washi. <br />
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Its hard to believe my two eldest nieces ever looked like this! The cutie on the left is now whipping my behind in the gym - who would have thought it at the time! There's only 18 months between them so they really are #bff.<br />
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I used some embossing paste for the first time to give something interesting to the white background and I really liked the way it turned out. Although its my often used messy stack style, the colour scheme is more unusual for me but I'm pleased with the end result. <br />
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I'm looking forward to a day of cropping on Saturday too - goodness knows I need it!<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-54671919294113658402014-09-14T22:48:00.001+01:002014-09-14T22:48:25.834+01:00Crocodile Rock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Although I haven't been able to use my studio this week (for fear of messing things up and then someone coming to view the house!), I have been able to craft at a crop and at a friend's house. I borrowed one of Paula's magazine clippings for inspiration and created this layout using Echo Park's This and That Charming (sorry, not sure which magazine!)</div>
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The photo of my boy is blurred - I'm no photographer and so capturing excited toddlers on a dull day is beyond me! I don't mind though - its an action shot ;-) <br />
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It marked quite a big moment for me back then. I finally felt like I was doing the normal stuff that mums did with their children and actually achieving some of the things I thought parenting was all about. I suffered with post natal depression during his first year and only started to feel a bit normal (whatever that is) by the time he was 2.<br />
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I think he must have been about 2 and a half in this photo. We spent hours covering the egg box with paper and then painting it and putting it together. He was so pleased with his crocodile creation and spent ages whizzing it around and taking it for a walk. I was so proud of him too. Actually... I was proud of us.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-8236779627353491982014-09-10T04:30:00.000+01:002014-09-10T04:30:00.854+01:00WOYWW 275<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It is with regret that I show you my desk this week - it is almost embarrassingly pristine. I say almost because I do have good reason for it to be untouched and that was that we were about to have a house viewing. This people, is as good as my room gets!</div>
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I have done some crafting this week though at the lovely Artful Angels crop. I started to unpack after the viewing so you can see bits of the three layouts I was working on using Echo Park. I normally get a lot more done than this but I was viewing another house and the children came to visit for lunch and before you know it the day has gone!<br />
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I can't wait till the next one because I am fearful of getting my room messed up again. Did I mention how much I hate this process!!!<br />
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I shall content myself with living vicariously through other people's busy spaces over <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">Julia's </a>for this week's What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-21127760908858653722014-09-03T05:30:00.000+01:002014-09-03T05:30:00.416+01:00WOYWW 274<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Its been a while since I joined in with WOYWW dear readers but this Wednesday marks a very important part of our year - the children go back to school today! I have such plans!! Some of my plans for this week involve getting in my studio and making some stuff - woop woop! Some of my plans involve getting my house back into some sort of order so that we are ready for house viewings at the weekend. Our house sale fell through recently after waiting since April so we have to start all over again - meh.</div>
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So what is on my table of craft after such a long time? Well... Top left is my Learn Something New Everyday book that I am determined to put something in this year. Its a class run by Shimelle every September and I made this book 3 years ago and never put anything in it. 2 years ago I changed the date on the front to start again and never put anything in it. Last year I didn't even try. I am keeping a record this year and trying to take daily photos so hopefully something will go in there at some point.<br />
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In the centre of the table I have some very exciting things!! I was picked as a winner in a Cosmo Cricket giveaway on Facebook and within about 4 days I had a parcel arrive from America! Inside was a wall sconce, 4 matching mason jar lids (I need wide necked jars now!), a sweet little pink hanger with clips on and a pad of 12x12 vellum! If you know where I can get the jars from then please do let me know (in the UK) because I would love them to go in my new studio, if / when we move!<br />
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Right, on with the cleaning. 6 weeks of summer holidays and I don't even recognise my house anymore! Don't forget to link up with <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">Julia</a> if you want to join in with the desk hop :-)<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-3058684614491446692014-08-30T12:06:00.000+01:002014-08-30T12:06:11.991+01:00T.I.G.G.rrrrr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Its just me and my girl here today because the boys have gone camping so we are doing our nails and getting our craft on and watching lots of girly films :-) </div>
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Miss Bella is very girly, and I don't know where she gets it from. She loves having her face painted too. This double layout was about a trip to Beaulieu near Halloween a couple of years ago. </div>
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She sat sooo still and the finished result was amazing. How can a tiger look so cute??!</div>
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I used lots of orange and harvest type colours to reflect the time of year as well as the colours in the face paints. I also used lots of textures with buttons, felt leaves, sheer ribbon and that gorgeous canvas tag.<br />
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I think I made this layout at a Christmas retreat a couple of years ago and just never got around to sharing it on the blog. I've still got others from around the same time that got missed and because things have been so hectic here with summer holidays and house sales falling through etc (don't ask) my poor old craft room hasn't seen much actual crafting!<br />
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This little girl is full of attitude and sass and definitely has some very tiger like qualities. Me and my little tiger cub are going to do a lot of snuggling up together this afternoon.<br />
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What have you got planned for this weekend? For some of you it might be last weekend before the children go back to school - is that a good or a bad thing? This summer has been a mix of good and bad but I am looking forward to getting back to some sort of routine and definitely looking forward to getting back to some regular blogging!<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xx<br />
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<br />Lisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-88677380374794447172014-08-12T21:56:00.000+01:002014-08-12T21:56:45.242+01:00S J Crafts August Challenge - a Teal Album<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You know when you get an idea in your head and it is such a great idea that you just HAVE to do it? But then you realise the logistics of completing the task in time alongside other last minute projects, and of course normal daily life, are not actually that favourable... but you decide to do it anyway? Yep, that happened here! I wanted to make something special for Louis's teacher because she really "got him" and he has really blossomed in her care. I wanted to say a bigger thank you to her than my normal end of year projects so I decided to make her an album that she could use for her honeymoon photos and ephemera, or even her favourite moments from her wedding, which I knew to have a teal colour scheme. Sarah's <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/august-challenge-theme-and-stash.html">S J Crafts challenge</a> for August was to make something holiday / travel related and to use something old and something new. So with a week to go before the end of term I set about it..... ahem.....</div>
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I used an Ikea album with a snowflake on the front but I don't think its obviously a Christmas album. I added some bling and ribbon and a butterfly because I used butterflies through the album too. The chipboard butterfly shape that I used here is about 4 years old... gulp!</div>
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I secured some ribbon inside the covers concealed by patterned paper in order to hold the book closed.<br />
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Management pointed out that she might not know what to do with the book so I added this little note into a pocket for the inside front cover. Basically it says "This book is for YOUR story" and explains that she should cover up / tear out anything she wants to so that they can display and record their memories in any way they would like to remember their special time. Apparently this made the teacher cry because she was so touched!<br />
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I wanted something really special for the first page so I used the last scrap of my precious rose ribbon which was a perfect match for her teal colour scheme.<br />
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I used papers from the last 5 years and from various manufacturers and collections - it felt good to make a dent in my stash! Very old alongside very new here!<br />
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I tried to echo the papers across each double page and used similar styles throughout the album for continuity as well as using similar gems and shapes and the butterfly motif.<br />
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I also added some Project Life cards for a bit of variety and to give her somewhere to add her journalling. These are the newest things that I used because I treated myself to the Jade kit a few weeks ago. Please excuse the blob on the camera lens - it is not something on the book!!<br />
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I also created a few pages without patterned paper, just by stamping all over the page to give her lots of room to add her own touches and photos etc.<br />
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These stamps are all from Hero Arts - Stamp Your Story and are a perfect choice for layering and repeating. I made sure to spread these pages throughout the album for variety.<br />
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Here is another "something new" from the S J Crafts Challenge - a new stencil! The spotty one is new (a couple of days!) and the floral one is old (about 3 years and never been out of the packet...)<br />
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The pages in this album are approx 9x9 which is an awkward size when you are trying to do double pages with one piece of 12x12! This page design using thirds worked really well to get the most out of the papers.<br />
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I also spread some bunting throughout the album. I think it's a really pretty addition especially when it's popped up with foam tape for dimension.<br />
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I love this printed leaf effect stamp from the Hero Arts set.<br />
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I made a couple of pages with pockets for more journalling / additional photos / leaflets and memorabilia etc. You can also see the border punch that I used throughout the album for continuity. <br />
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For this page I used Distress Ink (Broken China) dabbed through a doily and then used the doily on the facing page. The book is pre-bound so you don't get a second chance to get things right but it is probably my least favourite layout.<br />
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Here is an example of the "thirds" page design flipped on its side. I think this teal paper from LilyBee's Memorandum is my favourite pattern in the entire album.<br />
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This is the centre of the album using up lots of scraps for the banner across the top. The envelopes can be used for holding whatever, but they also create another pocket behind them too.<br />
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When I've done photo-less albums before, I've put in blank photo mounts for people to add their standard sized photos in specific places. These days though with the ability to take photos on phones, create collages and crop and play around more, there needs to be more flexibility with photo sizes.<br />
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With that in mind, I deliberately kept this album free of specific photo spots so that they can add in whatever they want, wherever they want - it is their album for their story after all.<br />
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More banners and butterflies and doilies.<br />
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More pockets using some PL cards, that border punch, some grey spotted washi tape to reinforce the edges. Those spiral paper clips were a random purchase from a supermarket! It's worth keeping your eyes open in all sorts of places for fab touches these days.<br />
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Another sponged page and another envelope for bits and bobs.<br />
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More bunting - perfect for any sort of celebration I think!<br />
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I inked all the edges with the Broken China Distress Ink and I love the way it brings all the pieces together.<br />
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It also helps to link the stamped pages to the ones that used patterned papers by adding another element of continuity.<br />
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I love these little fold over cards from Project Life - not something I would use on one of my normal pages probably but they are ideal here.<br />
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I would love to see this book when it is finished and full of special moments. I really hope they enjoy looking back on it in years to come and also enjoy the process of creating a memory book of their own special story.<br />
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Finally the back pages with a spot for summing up and another little envelope full of labels and cards for them to add in her own time when and where she / they like.</div>
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So now its over to you to make something holiday or travel related for the challenge at <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/august-challenge-theme-and-stash.html">S J Crafts!</a> Because it is the summer holidays you have until September 6th to enter your project. <br />
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I'm just back from holidays myself and looking forward to getting some of our wonderful memories scrapped. I shall be around to lots of blogs to say hi again really soon.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-47097563180191292142014-07-23T06:00:00.000+01:002014-07-23T06:00:01.961+01:00WOYWW 268<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I said a couple of weeks ago that you should never apologise for the mess on your desk - its an artistic space and the left over chaos is evidence of enjoying the creative process. It is art sediment. Having said that, I am a little bit in a state of hiding my face about my studio this week because it is chaos rather than just piles. In my defence I was making several things for teachers for the end of term and I got very carried away with one of them...</div>
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Lets take a tour shall we? The big black box and assorted jewelry items strewn about is waiting to be put away after I finished several bag charms for teacher presents (you can see those further down the post). Most of the pink stuff was used for the cards on the corner of the desk there (also further down this post). The Mod Podge and teal and turquoise items scattered about were for the thing that I got carried away on - which I will be sharing in a post in a few days (but you can see a sneak of at the end of this post). In fact you might not be able to see the teal stuff but it is there, underneath a load of other stuff!</div>
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All the embellishments that I hadn't "filed" after the last tidying session is still in my "needs putting away" corner and has been joined by everything that I initially got out for my teal project and then discarded in the second flick through - does anyone else do that? Pull loads of stuff out and then go through it again to pare it down once you've explored all your options?<br />
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And here we have proof that all this detritus did end up in something less abstract than a pile of assorted colour schemes! Three bag charms for teachers and teaching assistants.<br />
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Batch cards - 2 for teachers...<br />
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... and 4 for teaching assistants.<br />
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And this little sneak of the teal project for a very special teacher.<br />
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This time next week I will hopefully be sitting by a pool in Spain so no <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday</a> from me for a couple of weeks. Now if someone could just pop in and tidy up my studio while I'm gone that would lovely. Thanks awfully.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-87258288335533517372014-07-21T17:05:00.001+01:002014-07-21T17:05:52.547+01:00Princess - an oldie!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been trawling through my archives trying to find some of the layouts that I haven't shared and I came across this one. I'm currently sat in a play centre watching Miss Bella charging around with her friends celebrating the end of her year in Reception. Its gone so fast and so has the time since she tried on this princess dress for the first time. She's not a particularly girly girl but these photos enabled me to embrace some pink and glittery goodness anyway!</div>
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The layout is several years old now and uses papers from My Mind's Eye when they first started this particular style of Lost and Found collections.<br />
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I must have got them in a sale because I bought the brads and other bits too and I don't usually pay full price for things like that! I also remember having very sparkly fingers after making and handling this layout and then transferring it onto my face causing people to wonder if I was crying! How does glitter manage to make it look like you have tears in your eyes!? And how on earth does time go so fast when you are watching little people grow up?! Answers on a post card please. (Gosh, when was the last time you heard that too!?)<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-10795999944865301022014-07-16T06:00:00.000+01:002014-07-16T06:00:02.967+01:00WOYWW 267<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My desk actually looks fairly tidy this week after last week's clear up. There are a couple of things on the go but you might first notice that there is no cup of tea. I'm detoxing ready for my holiday and I'm desperate for proper food and a cuppa but I have to be strict until the holiday. Its no good spending all this time in the gym and then not following up with healthy eating. The detox will help me lose a bit of weight and hopefully feel a bit more refreshed and healthier. And less time cooking and eating means more crafting time!</div>
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I had a little shopping outing with<a href="http://sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/"> Sarah </a>and purchased some embossing pastes and a couple more masks and had a little play. I used white on the white cardstock on the box (which you obviously cant see at this point but hopefully it will add a little something to the layout), and then I mixed some paste up with some mist and used the chevron mask on another sheet. I have no idea where I'm going to go with it yet but I enjoyed playing.<br />
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The cork baking tray was a <a href="http://comeinsidemycrazyhead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/cleaning-up-at-at-refreshing-blog-hop.html">previous make</a> that needed repairing after being dropped from its hook. The stuff in the black box is for some forthcoming projects so watch this space!<br />
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Well that's all for this What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday - you can join in too, its easy, just head over to<a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/"> Julia's Stamping Ground.</a><br />
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Bye for now!<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-63846511344517997682014-07-10T21:30:00.000+01:002014-07-10T21:30:17.084+01:00Gym Buddies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I was back at the gym today for the first time in 10 days and let me tell it felt like a lot longer away! I've had to rest for a week because of some problems with my knees (which I've had since 18) and then this weekend I got my first proper migraine and I was flat out for a few days (hence missing WOYWW). The issues with my knees haven't gone away so we are having to tweak what I'm doing but I hope to get some answers soon. Luckily I have my trainer on hand to advise me :-)</div>
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Other than when my nieces were babies, I've not had the pleasure of their company very much and one of them now lives a few hours away so it is really precious to be able to spend time with my eldest niece. This layout is about our new relationship as friends as well as auntie / niece, and about the laughs and trials and tribulations we have together. </div>
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Hhhmmm, still not quite got the camera sorted but I am on to it ;-) Most of the supplies were from Echo Park's mini theme Brothers which just fitted colour and style wise. The cork heart from... erm... somewhere, acts as a mat for the Amy Tan Thickers and the badges are from October Afternoon's Sasparilla. <br />
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I finished off with a few cheap and cheerful sticky stars and some very old star brads to complement the stars in the papers and then added a couple of bits of washi tape and called it done.<br />
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I do have another gym layout using the same colours but its a bit of a story and I need to put my big girl pants on before I feel ready to share it. Maybe next week...</div>
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Bye for now</div>
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xx</div>
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Lisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-57803646540018995162014-07-04T13:47:00.000+01:002014-07-04T13:47:15.600+01:00S J Crafts July Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This month's challenge from S J Crafts involved selecting three things from a list of possibles - a colour, a symbol and a title. One of the possible titles was "Summer Days" so I included that in my title about a really mad summer day last year when we saw Big Foot and met Jaws from the Bond films.</div>
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I'm still having trouble with getting blurry bits on my photos and I'm hoping that now I'm home from Wales that it was a temporary thing but we shall see! <br />
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I used an arrow which was one of the options but a star or sun shape was another option and I think the cogs and gears in the layout fit that shape rather well too. I couldn't resist using All About A Boy collection from Echo Park because the gears and the colours were such a great match. I chose red as the colour from the list of options so I used red Bazzil as the background.<br />
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I'd forgotten how much I loved this collection with all the vivid colours and some of the wording fitting my theme perfectly too. Obviously I have more than this one photo of the event so I'll probably use it again soon!<br />
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There's some big news about S J Crafts on the blog today so you can read it and see more about the challenge <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/">here.</a><br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-57974302813685559132014-07-02T05:30:00.000+01:002014-07-02T05:30:00.344+01:00WOYWW 265<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I take my weekly photo for WOYWW I realise how much or how little I've been in my studio. A few days on a bit of a scrapping frenzy last week and my room is a tip - I blame <a href="http://www.shimelle.com/">Shimelle </a>and her weekend of inspiration. In the end I started rolling over stuff that I had piled on the floor (lots more out of shot on the floor too) and I needed some space to start some fresh thinking.</div>
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Its a bit of a shocker even for me but I make no apologies. I traveled around a few desks last week and so many people were sorry for their mess. Don't be sorry people! We are creative and busy and happy in our art and of course we make a mess and things get moved around but it is OUR space and OUR art!<br />
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Now it looks more like this. The pile on the floor is "to be sorted", the pile at the back is scraps that need filing and the pile of cardstock on the left is erm... a pile of cardstock that needs putting away. When I have a lot of stuff to put away (again there is more out of shot) I tend to make piles like this so I only have to go to the place where I keep the cardstock once and the scraps pile once, etc. I end up with a big tray of embellishments to sort out too and I am dreading this. I seriously need to pare back my stash and that is going to be on the list once I have tidied up a great deal.<br />
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This week I have also been sorting Lego into colours ready for some drawers to be labelled. Sounds very OCD doesn't it? I'm a big Lego fan and we have lots of different sets and these days they have lots of very unusual shaped pieces and so finding them is easier if things are in colours. And I like doing mindless tasks like breaking apart and sorting small bricks :-)<br />
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So that's me for the week, how about you? Sharing is caring so don't forget to link your creative space to this wonderful blog hop at <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">Julia's Stamping Ground</a>.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xx<br />
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Lisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-22746997115869425952014-06-30T11:55:00.000+01:002014-06-30T11:55:08.578+01:00Rise Up and Fly - Shimelle Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This is the last of the layouts that I managed to get done from Shimelle's weekend of inspiration. This challenge was to scrapbook with a <a href="http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1976/scrapbooking-colour-schemes-with-pink/">pink colour scheme </a>which is something I don't do all that often despite having a little girl. A page featuring miss Bella wouldn't be hard but I had something different in mind.</div>
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I bought these gorgeous My Mind's Eye papers in the S J Crafts sale and I was desperate to use them. The collection is called Spread Your Wings and Fly and it made me think of my niece and how much she has blossomed since she found her niche as a Personal Trainer. I changed the title to fit better with the images of the hot air balloons rather than relating it to wings.</div>
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I wanted to use the paper with the balloons in the top corner so it left a nice trip at the bottom for the small photo. I have scrapped this photo before but with a different story. I couldn't find anything that felt right to add to the stack for some texture other than some gems and bakers twine so I cut another balloon from another sheet of paper and added some pop dots to lift it at bit.<br />
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Sophie left college not knowing what she really wanted to do and it took a while for her to realise that her passion for the gym could be something she could share with other people. Since then she's gained experience and qualifications and has become the assistant manager of the gym. She has an expanding client base and has started developing specialist training programmes as she continues to grow and develop and it is a pleasure to see her spreading her wings and really taking off.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-25015014567969391122014-06-28T14:32:00.000+01:002014-06-28T14:32:52.883+01:00Meet Opal - Shimelle Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've been meaning to scrap this photo for years, literally. It was from our Round The World trip, no prizes for guessing where! It was actually at Steve Irwin's Zoo in Brisbane and we were really sad to have missed him by a couple of days (well that's what they said but he might not have actually been there for months!)</div>
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It was one of those magical experiences that you never forget,so soft and fluffy! We had to hold Opal under her bottom because koalas have no rib cage so holding them under the arms like a baby to pick them up would crush their internal organs. To pick them up from the floor you have to hold their hands and dangle them!<br />
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I was able to use some new supplies (Glitz Finnley from the S J Crafts sale) and some very old ones. I've had those lime green Doodlebug letters since I started scrapping and the little koala button from even before that! I threw in some new Project Life cards and some felt leaves and back gems - it feels great to use some really old stuff!<br />
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My travel album has kraft card stock on every page so as well as the background I used a couple of Tim Holtz die cuts from my ancient stash too. </div>
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The page was inspired by<a href="http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1909/sketch-to-scrapbook-page-half-page-photo/"> this</a> challenge from Shimelle using half page photos. It's certainly larger than I normally scrap but not quite half a page. </div>
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I've still got a few more to share but they will have to wait until later after I've travelled back from sunny Wales. Yes it is sunny - it was supposed to rain hard all day here but it has been beautiful!<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-9219753735666310302014-06-27T16:26:00.001+01:002014-06-27T16:26:59.542+01:00Hang Tough - Shimelle Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I managed to complete a few of the challenges from Shimelle's cyber crop last weekend. Unfortunately I had to bring them to Wales to photograph as I ran out of time before we had to leave. The weather decided to take a turn for the worse and I have struggled to get clear pictures but I will keep trying! This first one seemed to be the better of the bunch and was inspired by<a href="http://www.shimelle.com/paper/1911/sketch-to-scrapbook-page-puzzle-pieces/"> this </a>challenge. <br />
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I used <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/all-about-a-boy-collection-283-c.asp">Echo Park's All About A Boy collection</a> which is in the sale at S J Crafts currently. I'd forgotten how much I loved the bright colours.<br />
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I used the TOUGH banner from the sticker sheet for the title and added some more stickers and chipboard pieces for interest and texture. I wanted to get across the fun and adventure that the girls were having when they climbed the wall at the play centre where Bella was having her 5th birthday party.<br />
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A couple of brads from a Halloween collection by October Afternoon and some very old gems and it was job done. It took me ages because I couldn't decide on the papers but once I had done that it came together quite quickly. <br />
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I had a great time scrapping old and new photos and using old and new stash. There was a wonderful sense of freedom as I wasn't doing a project or a DT assignment or making a rushed card for someone etc. I'd forgotten how much I love scrapping and as such there are a few more projects to share over the next few days. <br />
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Did you join in with the challenges too?<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-50889483728988695692014-06-25T06:30:00.000+01:002014-06-25T06:30:00.782+01:00WOYWW 264Its been a few weeks since I've been able to join in with this wonderful crafty blog hop but I've been in my studio a bit more this week and so felt compelled to share! I love being able to have the doors wide open but it usually ends up with things being blown onto the floor (I did actually put those layouts on the floor to be photographed though, the wind blew other stuff!) You can kinda see here that there are piles of stuff growing on my desk....<br />
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Strangely the piles from this angle don't look as precarious as they do in real life... perhaps its because you can't actually see that the things on the bottoms of the piles are smaller than the things I have balanced on top! I'm in a very "let's get on and scrap" mood rather than a "putting things away" mood. I blame <a href="http://www.shimelle.com/">Shimelle </a>and her weekend of challenges! And no, I don't know why there is a duster on my desk either... <br />
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But there is of course a full cup of tea... Thank goodness! Lots of lovely papers and photos and ideas and general chaos - perfect! You might be wondering what that embroidered thing is next to my ATG... Well actually there are 2 things - one is a stuffed heart that looks like it should hang in the wardrobe smelling nice - but it doesn't smell of anything. The embroidered thingy is a piece of linen that hangs on your wall for you to display your loo rolls in. Both items brought back from Malta by my mother "for our new house". Grief, it almost puts me off moving...<br />
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I'm hoping to share a few more layouts and get back to being busy on my blog so please do watch this space. For now, why not link up your creative room / table / spot on the floor with the lovely Julia (back from her Spanish hospital ordeal and we wish her a speedy recovery!) at <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">Stamping Ground for What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday.</a><br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-79961178435035185822014-06-11T18:53:00.000+01:002014-06-11T18:53:44.565+01:00Choosing themes and colours with S J Crafts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I first started scrapping a few years ago, the general trend, and I thought "the rules" were that you tried to match the colours in your photos with your supplies. Of course that poses a problem when you don't have an exact match, and a near match can sometimes make things look forced or can accentuate the colour difference. </div>
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lately I've been focusing more on the feel of the page or the story behind it. Using embellishments to bring out the focus of the story can give you much more scope for using different colours. Changing photos to black and white can prevent any dramatic clashes and can often really pull the theme together. Of course it can also help you to use up colour schemes you have in your stash already too. </div>
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I used the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/boys-rule-collection-just-arrived-419-c.asp">Crate Paper Boys Rule collection </a>from <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/">S J Crafts </a>because the retro feel of the range was perfect for the photos of the gym. You might have seen other photos on my blog of the gym in colour - the iron work in the weight machines is actually orange and a really close match to the orange in the collection, however, I didn't want to have to over-think where I put the orange embellishments. Sometimes using colours very close to those in your photos can cause the image to get lost and this page was very much about the journey I am on so I wanted to make sure the embellishments were not too distracting or clashing.</div>
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The background piece is actually a great match for the back and white in the photos so the splash of orange in the photo mat lifts the pictures and stops them getting lost. I wanted to use the cassette tape paper because music is such a big part of my training sessions but it has a lot of colours in. If I had used colour photos, I would probably have had to cut the tapes out individually because of the likelihood of clashes and overlaps in shade. Obviously the strip of tape measure washi tape highlights the theme a little more.<br />
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I wanted to create this page to remind me of how important it is to remember that I have just started on my fitness journey. Yes, I do have a long way to go and it will be a long process so I have to bear in mind that this is just the beginning of a new me and it won't happen over night. I have to be proud that I have started.<br />
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The embellishments in this collection are aimed at young boys but they fit perfectly here too, like the little word pieces from the ephemera pack and this fab veneer Boom!, which seems to be a word I hear often at Spartans gym!<br />
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Of course there is nothing to stop you using the colours in your photos as the lead if you are careful about your choices and they enhance rather than detract from the images. I find the best way is to pick out one or two colours from the photos and then add in other colours. Keeping a slight distance between the supplies and the part of the photo with the matching colour in it can also help.</div>
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In this layout I wanted to focus on the fun and playful vibe rather than overloading the page with seaside supplies. I've picked out the orange from the hat and shorts but it is not a perfect match so I have kept them apart. I also picked out the yellow from the te-shirt which is a better match but it does change shade in the photos depending on the light - this obviously makes it impossible to try and get an exact match in your supplies! <br />
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Choosing sunny colours lends itself well to the happy theme of the page and this helps to pull everything together. Adding in the star print paper with the blue and green in it reflects the colours in the sea and the sky closely enough that it works, without being so close that it is trying to match and failing.<br />
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I've used embellishments from the ephemera pack and journalled onto one of the blocks from the cut apart sheets. I love piling on layers from coordinating supplies and they don't have to be really specific to work. Here they just echo the theme of play and some of the colours I've used - they don't have to be boy specific layouts to use things from boy themed collections.<br />
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I added shells, twine and a cork heart from my stash to echo the natural beach feel without being over the top. The veneer "4 fun" token from the collection was perfect here for the four friends playing on the beach. The journalling talks about the fun they had skimming stones and how great it was for me and our friends' mum to catch up while they played... until one of them found a hypodermic needle among the stones. That's one theme I won't be accentuating in my embellishments!!<br />
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I've done a bit more shopping today on the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/the-big-paper-sale-305-c.asp">S J Crafts Bargain Basement</a> sale and the things that jumped out at me were always the feel of the colours or the styles and not the specific name or theme of the collection. I'm looking forward to using some Basic Grey Hipster on some more of my gym training pages because it has the right touch of orange and again with that slight retro feel. I hope you find some bargains there too and expand your choices beyond the pure colours in your photos. Let me know if you do!</div>
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xx</div>
<br />Lisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-67693051189294503282014-06-06T18:00:00.000+01:002014-06-07T19:55:37.447+01:00Cleaning up at a Refreshing Blog Hop!<div class="ecxMsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 15.75pt; margin-bottom: 1.35em;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 15.75pt;">I was really pleased to be asked by <a href="http://jennifergracecreates.com/">Jennifer Grace</a>, to be involved in one of her blog events again. </span><span style="line-height: 15.75pt;">Jennifer is </span><span style="line-height: 15.75pt;">one of my co-designers at <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/">S J Crafts </a>and her </span><span style="line-height: 15.75pt;">events are always full of inspiration, ideas and prizes and I always find new blogs to follow and projects to try. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This event focuses on Jennifer's word for the year which is "Cleanse" and so those of us who are guesting on the blog hop this weekend have all made crafty projects to share based on something along those lines. You can find out more about the blog hop the associated prize at the bottom of this post. <span style="line-height: 15.75pt;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I pondered Jennifer's word "cleanse" and very much wanted to tie it in to my own word for the year - heart. She suggested water themes, decluttering, healthy living, letting go etc and all those things could fit with my own word in some broad way or another. I began to tackle a layout on the subject of letting go as a way of allowing myself to register that there was something I had to temporarily put on hold. Some aspects of my crafting endeavors need to go on the back burner for a bit because my mental health needs to take priority and is taking up a lot of time right now. I sat down yesterday to put the title on it "Letting Go... For Now!" When I looked at the layout so far though, I didn't like it. I decided to to start over and the word "clean" kept coming to me, probably because its something I need to focus on in many ways. However with only a short time available I needed something I could conjure up but that would take me forward in trying to free my mind and my home of some clutter. I needed something to help me </span>achieve<span style="font-family: inherit;"> order in the house. Here's what happened....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Firstly I carried out a partial scrapectomy of the unwanted layout in order to keep the cork print (From <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/simple-stories-364-c.asp">Simple Stories, Daily Grind</a>) to attach to a baking tray.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJXFDmZTM-A/U5CkvLg4Z-I/AAAAAAAAEPQ/Ltfxg5HQmtw/s1600/DSC_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJXFDmZTM-A/U5CkvLg4Z-I/AAAAAAAAEPQ/Ltfxg5HQmtw/s1600/DSC_0240.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I trimmed the cork paper to fit inside the flat area of the tray. Then I trimmed it again. And again.. ahem... I brayered Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the tray and to get a firm flat surface. I still got air bubbles but you can't see them. Mod Podge dries clear so you also can't see where you've run the glue along the edges to give them a good seal.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tokNlFuNbsg/U5CkvDweuXI/AAAAAAAAEPU/KT2etnsZb5k/s1600/DSC_0241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tokNlFuNbsg/U5CkvDweuXI/AAAAAAAAEPU/KT2etnsZb5k/s1600/DSC_0241.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I needed to be able to hang my schedule board up and luckily there were 2 drainage holes in the tray that I could thread ribbon through. I used bottle tops for my magnets so I punched a pinked circle and added a blob of glue in the centre to adhere them. </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hpe9E1P9Awo/U5CkvHLuMbI/AAAAAAAAEPM/aDi04lxCCGA/s1600/DSC_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hpe9E1P9Awo/U5CkvHLuMbI/AAAAAAAAEPM/aDi04lxCCGA/s1600/DSC_0242.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also wanted to use a few wooden pegs but I didn't have time to wait for paint to try so I added a strip of washi tape to the fronts.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lScO5t4nYMA/U5CkxGbhU-I/AAAAAAAAEPc/l18USjPnyhE/s1600/DSC_0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lScO5t4nYMA/U5CkxGbhU-I/AAAAAAAAEPc/l18USjPnyhE/s1600/DSC_0245.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I bought the bottle tops a while back I also bought some matching epoxy circles so I added one on top of the punched circle. Then I remembered that I was supposed to put letter stickers on the paper circles first... ahem... Then the circles popped out because the glue in the middle of the tops wasn't touching the paper so I had to redo the glue around the edges...ahem... It was going well at this point, yes?</span><br />
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Next I added some magentic tape to the backs of the bottle tops. You can see the size that I used here was really small because I only needed them to hold a scrap of paper really. Later on, when I came to take the photographs I discovered that the magnets were too small to hold the paper through another layer of paper and Mod Podge. I discovered this when the wind blew slightly and I spent a while rummaging around the garden for the bits of paper and magnets!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_VI3VrptBM/U5Clpoo3qdI/AAAAAAAAEQM/CHvlSmMEcxE/s1600/DSC_0247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j_VI3VrptBM/U5Clpoo3qdI/AAAAAAAAEQM/CHvlSmMEcxE/s1600/DSC_0247.JPG" height="214" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So with those bits done, I could move on finally... I covered the back of an envelope with matching paper (it was actually Christmas paper!) to keep all my bit of paper in. I folded back the flap and stuck it down then decorated the front.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started assembling the magnets on the board which proved quite tricky because there was a lot less room than I thought! I made a title of Chores and added some flowers but there was little room to add anything else that wasn't part of the actual </span>scheduling<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hn1nZ6dEn4U/U5Ck0QVmthI/AAAAAAAAEP8/KZUfyFlBL_8/s1600/DSC_0250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hn1nZ6dEn4U/U5Ck0QVmthI/AAAAAAAAEP8/KZUfyFlBL_8/s1600/DSC_0250.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></span></a></div>
I pegged the envelope on the board to hold the individual chores and made another magnet from a button to hold the things I need to do every day. In time I will laminate all the chores and the daily list but I'll wait until we move and have sorted out how different things might or might not be!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQo0B8q3_Y4/U5Ck13XoxGI/AAAAAAAAEQE/IB5BOX7rb1Y/s1600/DSC_0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQo0B8q3_Y4/U5Ck13XoxGI/AAAAAAAAEQE/IB5BOX7rb1Y/s1600/DSC_0252.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So this is the finished article (minus one of the chores that I never found in the garden...) We have a list of the days of the week down the side with room for a chore (you need to leave enough room on the slip of paper for the magnet to sit on without covering the writing) and then the rest of the chores go in the envelope. The pegs marked B and L are for little chores for Bella and Louis to complete. I'll keep these on circles so we can tell the difference when they are in the envelope. The green theme is to go with our kitchen which is where I will be hanging this pretty </span>schedule<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1RLC5xBvjQ/U5CkzsU9WiI/AAAAAAAAEP4/mWVFQzLKb7c/s1600/DSC_0249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1RLC5xBvjQ/U5CkzsU9WiI/AAAAAAAAEP4/mWVFQzLKb7c/s1600/DSC_0249.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thank you Jennifer for giving me a prompt to do something I've been meaning to do for ages and something that will hopefully help us start sorting out our cupboards ready for moving if / when it happens!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So that's my contribution, I wonder what the other people on the hop have come up with? </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 21px;">As always, i<span style="line-height: 12.75pt; text-align: center;">f you comment on all the blogs in the hop, finishing at <a href="http://www.jennifergracecreate.com/">www.jennifergracecreate.com</a> to let Jennifer know you've been all the way around, then you'll be in with a chance to win a refreshing prize pack featuring Glitz 77 and My Mind's Eye Izzy items, total worth over £25. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 12.75pt; text-align: center;">All entries must be received by Monday the 9th of June at 10.59pm BST. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yjl77XbppMY/U5CoY0eQslI/AAAAAAAAEQk/CBXD808YBgQ/s1600/Refresh+Your+Craft+%2526+Soul+Blog+Hop+Prize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yjl77XbppMY/U5CoY0eQslI/AAAAAAAAEQk/CBXD808YBgQ/s1600/Refresh+Your+Craft+%2526+Soul+Blog+Hop+Prize.jpg" height="241" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 12.75pt; text-align: center;">Your next stop along the hop is </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 21.299999237060547px; text-align: center;">Louise: </span><a class="c_nobdr t_prs" href="http://scrapbook-me.blogspot.co.uk/" style="cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 21.299999237060547px; outline: none; text-align: center;" target="_blank">http://scrapbook-me.blogspot.co.uk/</a><br />
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I hope you enjoy the weekend as much I will!<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-59969758443934359542014-06-03T17:11:00.002+01:002014-06-03T17:11:16.271+01:00S J Crafts June Challenge - "It doesn't have to be pretty"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This quote actually came from my trainer / niece when we were discussing the gym where we work out. Its not one of those places with fancy TVs on the wall and lines of cardio equipment and artistic interpretations of the human body in the changing rooms. It is functional, hard wearing and appropriate for the job in hand and how it looks doesn't really make a difference to how it works. </div>
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"It doesn't have to be pretty" is a sentiment that could be applied to a lot of things actually now I think about it and that is certainly true of the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/june-challenge-summer-colours.html">challenge's over at S J Crafts each month.</a> Of course we like the things we make to be pretty but being happy making something is as much a part of the process as the end result - I think I need to keep that in mind with my fitness too!</div>
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It was a combination of this wording and the colour scheme for this month's challenge that gave me the idea for this layout. I love the way Jennifer has put together the image on the blog for the colour inspiration and I hope it inspires you to join in!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8iRQPv-XtE/U4iVVY0mepI/AAAAAAAAEOg/n59CSCcR4t4/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8iRQPv-XtE/U4iVVY0mepI/AAAAAAAAEOg/n59CSCcR4t4/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" height="640" width="636" /></a></div>
I don't use much pink at the moment and I had the older <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/echo-park-95-c.asp">Echo Park Off The Record collection </a>out already so it was the most fitting thing I could find! The hot pinky / red matches my vest and the orange matches the equipment and I went to town on the flowers and pretty embellishments to contrast with the cheeky title.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFgX3mjlCQU/U4iVWBOEfKI/AAAAAAAAEOk/4tXGj_NUj_g/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KFgX3mjlCQU/U4iVWBOEfKI/AAAAAAAAEOk/4tXGj_NUj_g/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
I usually edge my papers with Vintage Photo but I wanted to pull out the black in the photos so I chose <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/distress-ink-pad--black-soot-137-p.asp">Black Soot Distress Ink.</a> The ribbon, brads and doily came from my stash and the 2 pieces of chipboard are by <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/collectable-collection-263-c.asp">My Mind's Eye.</a>.<br />
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You can see some enamels dots in use here - some of them are home made and some of them are <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/enamel-dots--gems-115-c.asp">My Mind's Eye</a>. There are some gorgeous metallic ones in the shop at the moment but I am particularly taken with the woodgrain ones too. SOME things DO need to be pretty after all... ;-)<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-66078792310291342962014-05-19T11:08:00.000+01:002014-05-19T11:08:10.613+01:00Divided Loyalties - Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week I said I had one more set of projects to share using the cut-apart cards from <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/homespun-collection-416-c.asp">Simple Stories - Homespun </a>collection, and here they are! </div>
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The sentiment on this piece really spoke to me as something we need to remember in this house. I mounted it onto some pinky-red patterned paper from the collection and then onto one of the larger pieces in the cut-apart cards. I used an old frame to show it off so that I can use it as a piece of home decor in our new house. The photo was taken when I was on a retreat in the Cotswolds with some great girls - isn't the garden wonderful!?</div>
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I added a sticker to the top left corner directly on the frame for added interest.<br />
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Then I added a branding strip and a couple of pieces of chipboard at the bottom right for balance. I can't wait to get it on the wall in our new home. Its such a great message.<br />
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Talking of our new home, sadly our vendors still haven't found anything they like so we are still waiting... rather impatiently. While we were on the retreat, one of the girls gave us all a little gift bag and inside it was a small Moleskine, ideal for keeping in my handbag - thanks Mel! Initially I had thought about making a mini book with book rings and adding in some note paper but this was perfect. I needed something to keep with me for keeping track of everything regarding the house move and the Homespun collection has such a lot of lovely homely icons and sentiments that it was a great match.</div>
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I embellished the front cover with one of the cards, a couple of brads from the collection and some chipboard. I then embellished each section within the book using only stickers and papers because I didn't want to add too much bulk.<br />
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Each section has a side tab and the dividers are decorated front and back. The tabs have been cut from two of the longer thin sections. Here I stitched around the house picture and I love the effect it gives. I have kept the decor section larger than the others because I have lots of ideas for our new abode! ;-)<br />
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This telephone was a perfect match for the contacts page and all of the letter stickers are from the collection too. I really love the border strip on the "Dates" page which I cut from one of the longer pieces.<br />
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More stickers and stitching. The kraft labels were a wonderful addition from another lady at the retreat - thanks Jaki!<br />
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Some of the cards were perfect on their own and some needed another element or two or some washi tape.<br />
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Yes, I have a section on Decluttering our current house and yes I have spelled declutter wrong here...<br />
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And finally the back few pages of homely comfort. Some reminders of things to ask and things to remember to tell the new owners.<br />
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And the back cover with some chipboard. I love the way you can see a sneak of the other bits and bobs inside.<br />
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So, I hope you've enjoyed this series of ideas for using pocket page collections outside of pocket dividers and I hope that you can see past the sections as they are and consider using them for other projects. I've still got a fair bit of the collection left in some larger pieces so I can still have more fun with this pretty range. If you are inspired by something you've seen in these posts then please do let me know in the comments and if you have made something please do share a link so we can have a look too!<br />
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With thanks to <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/">S J Crafts </a>for supplying such a great collection.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-68065019597279991232014-05-14T11:05:00.001+01:002014-05-14T11:05:35.546+01:00WOYWW 258<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm late to the Wednesday party this week because I had a little accident in my craft room... I lean't over the side of my chair to get something from the floor and it tipped over. I thought I had just hurt my hip where I landed but as yesterday went on I realised I had done something to my opposite shoulder blade. I think its triggered an old pinched nerve but it means no crafting or training today :-( </div>
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This was my desk as I left it yesterday afternoon. The pile of Echo Park Off The Record in the middle is for some <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/">DT</a> work - I just love the summery colours! The <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/simple-stories-364-c.asp">Simple Stories </a>pile at the back is for my One Little Word project and I'll be taking that to the crop on Saturday. The Promarkers still need labeling and putting away and the pile of magazines on the left still need to be ripped up for my OLW project too. But it all looks better than it did the hour before!</div>
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I needed to seriously sort some stuff out as you can see. I still can't find my heat proof mat and my heat gun which I must have put away at some point getting ready for the house sale but it will turn up.<br />
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I was trying to find my mat to make some enamel dots from some beads that I liberated from my daughter's supply. They need a bit of work but I am pleased that I can use some of them. The ones that are more blobby than dotty can be used by the children - win win!! That brown bead that hasn't flattened at all was an experiment - it was an Aqua bead and didn't change shape at all but it was blue to start of with!<br />
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Talking of my daughter... she made this yesterday... It says...<br />
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To Mummy and her friends, Love Bella<br />
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Make your own design on any coloured piece of paper. I maked this when I was 5.<br />
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Bless her! Setting challenges already!<br />
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This post was brought to you by <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday hosted by Julia at the Stamping Ground.</a></div>
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Bye for now</div>
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xx</div>
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Lisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-6941364062705944732014-05-09T10:30:00.000+01:002014-05-09T10:30:00.594+01:00Divided Loyalties - part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Following on from my previous <a href="http://comeinsidemycrazyhead.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/divided-loyalties.html">Divided Loyalties</a> post with <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/">S J Crafts</a>, I have two more layouts to share with you today that use a collection intended for use in divided page protectors. These collections are so versatile if you think of them as smaller pieces of paper rather than set sections that have to be used in certain pockets. The colours in the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/homespun-collection-416-c.asp">Simple Stories Homespun collection </a>lend themselves to a wide range of subjects but there's a definite focus on home and family. </div>
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<u>Family</u></div>
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This first layout featuring my two crazy children makes use of one of the beautiful full pages which has a bit of embellishment printed on it already. It means that you don't have to do much more than add something between the two areas and you have a really quick layout. I simply added some 6x4 cards in a messy stack so that unlike the previous post, I didn't have to do any creative patchwork to cover gaps and joins. </div>
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I used one of the journalling cards as it was because the sentiment fitted well for my photo but it is very easy to cover them up if you like the writing area but the wording doesn't fit. I added some brads and stickers from the collection and made my title with the chipboard and finished off with a few <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/enamel-dots--gems-115-c.asp">enamel dots.</a> Very quick and another memory captured.<br />
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<u>Love</u><br />
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This bright layout features my two great-nephews (which makes me feel exceptionally old...) having a bit of a smooch, or trying to! Here again I've used a full sheet from the collection because the hearts fitted the theme but the bright colours stop it from being too feminine. I've used one of the larger strips (4x12) to layer the photo and to act as the title piece by adding an ampersand and their initials from the sticker sheet. <br />
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The journalling appears on a 3x4 card and then I have matted the photo onto a 6x4 and then onto one of the larger pieces from the collection. This black piece had an ideal border (which you could stitch) but I didn't need the sentiment underneath so it worked really well for this mat.</div>
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The cute flower is from the brad pack and I also added a couple of flowers from the chipboard set too. I backed one of the larger brads onto a pinked circle punched from a spare card that I knew I wouldn't use as it was. I love adding things like this to a paperclip to make my own embellishments.<br />
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I finished off by adding some branding strips and off cuts from the journalling card to the top corner to balance the design and then added a heart sticker with pop dots alongside other stickers and chipboard pieces.<br />
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The end result is a fun layout about two cheeky boys who love being together. And we still haven't used a divided page protector!<br />
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I still have 2 off the page projects using this collection to show you so check back soon for more ideas on using those collections intended for divided page protectors.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-71046898955666155742014-05-07T05:00:00.000+01:002014-05-07T05:00:00.081+01:00WOYWW 257<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If it wasn't for the plethora of sharp objects around me this morning then I think I would fall asleep on my desk! Its been a busy week but today is a day for washing (boo!) and working on One Little Word (Yay!). The gorgeous rainbow chevron paper is part of the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/simple-stories-364-c.asp">Simple Stories Daily Grind</a> collection that I'm using for this project which has been sadly neglected recently but I'm exciting about doing this month's painty prompts - stand well back, paint will be splashed about! </div>
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On my desk this week there are also some new things - last year's Spring Summer Promarker pens (reduced to £10 for all 12 in Hobbycraft!!) and some things that came free with a magazine (the scrabble tiles, chalk speech bubbles, card pack). Also these rather yummy bright pink bottle caps which I hope to make something out of very soon.<br />
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One of the many reasons I am so behind with housework and am needing an art day is this....<br />
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A very long line of toy cars... Over 2 kilometers actually we think. The end result was smashing the World Record for the longest continuous line of toy cars which finished at 24,189 cars! A team of staff and volunteers (including myself and Management and both children) laid them out all around the Beaulieu Motor Museum, twisting and turning around and about and doubling back, all around the inside and the outside and up and down the paths.<br />
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This was part of Bella's area - a line which had to be changed several times as the logistics of counting versus opening doors etc proved very tricky indeed...<br />
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This was the area that I stewarded while the official count took place. The line at the bottom of the picture went right across the walkway and the rules are that the line cannot be broken until the count has been completed. Which took nearly two and a half hours. While people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters were trying to get around! But they did it! All the cars will now be sold off to raise money for Naomi House Children's Hospice so I hope they get lots of lots of funds as a result. <br />
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My knees, feet, and hands are blistered from crawling and I have sunburned nose. I'm just pleased it wasn't raining! Oh and that car there... its a Gordon Bennett! I couldn't help saying Gordon Bennett, what a lot of cars! Well... it was a long day...<br />
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If you are a crafter of any sort and you'd like to share your work space or whatever you are working on this week with other kindred spirits then please do link up with <a href="http://stamping-ground.blogspot.co.uk/">Julia</a> who is the host of this wonderful world wide snoop entitled What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.<br />
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Bye for nowLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3780146385212423498.post-23652705038475199462014-05-02T09:00:00.000+01:002014-05-02T09:00:02.100+01:00"Inspired by Sophie" - S J Crafts May Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I'm really enjoying designing for Sarah's challenges at <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/">S J Crafts </a>every month. I love the way the challenges are changing each month because there is so much inspiration this way. I also really love seeing how everyone else interprets the challenge too and I'm always amazed at how different our designs are. </div>
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This month we've gone for a bingo card grid and the idea is that you can draw a line through any three elements to use - vertical, horizontal or diagonal but not going around corners. You could take a chance and make a stab with a pin to start you off or choose something that tickles your fancy.</div>
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<img height="320" src="https://scontent-b-lhr.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc3/t1.0-9/10259929_698620230200283_3755182214095139669_n.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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For my design this month, I went with the row across the middle. Can you spot the three elements?</div>
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The layout is about my niece, who you may already know is also my Personal Trainer. I can't really put into words what she has done for me recently but as I mentioned in a previous post, she has literally given me my life back. As well as boosting my epically failing confidence and energy levels and dragging me out of the depression that had engulfed me. Of course we have a long way to go but we know we are heading in the right direction. She is definitely helping me live with my One Little Word (Heart).</div>
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I used papers from the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.co.uk/boys-rule-collection-just-arrived-419-c.asp">Crate Paper Boyz Rule </a>collection to bring out the orange of that scary looking gym equipment. It goes really well with the slightly retro style (both the gym and the papers!) Plus we have so many comedy moments together as we are both clumsy and a bit incident prone so the comic book bunting and stickers were a great match too.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TgQg48FYGNw/U1_wM9kshKI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/itXac8g20g0/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TgQg48FYGNw/U1_wM9kshKI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/itXac8g20g0/s1600/DSC_0001.JPG" height="632" width="640" /></a></div>
You can see all three elements from the bingo card here - the star printed vellum as part of the messy stack, the blue circular paperclip on the tag and the "Inspired" stamping.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8d8VsJE-qM/U1_wOMYEXGI/AAAAAAAAEJY/yH9HTUMwWk0/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c8d8VsJE-qM/U1_wOMYEXGI/AAAAAAAAEJY/yH9HTUMwWk0/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
And here again for another example - I'd accidentally torn the vellum so I made a feature of it, I stamped a notebook border near the tape and then added the orange star brad (given to me by a friend on the retreat the other week.)<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZP7Lj4N45Xs/U1_wNG07EJI/AAAAAAAAEJI/FV2YI6kx968/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZP7Lj4N45Xs/U1_wNG07EJI/AAAAAAAAEJI/FV2YI6kx968/s1600/DSC_0003.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
So now its over to you! Choose a line, any line, and see where it takes you. Link up to the challenge on the <a href="http://www.sjpapercrafts.blogspot.co.uk/">S J Crafts blog</a> sometime in the next month and you could be one of the featured projects! We'd love to see what you are inspired to make.<br />
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Bye for now<br />
xxLisa-Janehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03150130990478203351noreply@blogger.com6